


Your Eyes, Like the Ocean

by 46hasu



Series: Linked Universe AU [11]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, linked universe au - Fandom
Genre: Gen, Violence, graphic depictions of injury, heavily inspired by six of crows, not all pirates arent good people, some gore, wind-centric fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:54:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23829439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/46hasu/pseuds/46hasu
Summary: After three months of peace and quiet, Wind decides to go on an adventure with his fellow heroes and Tetra.
Relationships: Link & Tetra (Legend of Zelda), Warriors & Wind (Linked Universe), Wind & Tetra (Linked Universe)
Series: Linked Universe AU [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1627771
Comments: 4
Kudos: 96





	1. Moment of Peace Gone

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted in the discord server Live Write.

Wind used to think three months of peace in Outset Island would be impossible now that he is a hero set on finding out the mystery of the timelines crossing. He was wrong. 

He leaned against his seat with a sigh as the waves crashed on the sand. The sweet juice that Wild made for the gang was gone after a few sips. Aryll was speaking to the seagulls and Legend with a lowered but excited voice. His grandmother was recounting his childhood stories to the Hyrule and Time, who listened with silence and smiles on their faces. Everything was peaceful and quiet. 

In other words, Wind was bored. 

That isn't to say he was tired of his grandmother and sister. He loved the relative peace in the Outset where the Heroes can relax and Wind can stay with his family. But he was starting to feel restless with the quiet. 

Sparring and sailing weren’t helping. He wanted to go out and explore. He wanted something that would get his heart pumping and muscles aching. 

“I want to leave,” he had said at dinner one night. “I love staying here but I want to go out and explore the Great Seas with Tetra's crew again.”

His grandmother and sister were, fortunately, understanding when he told them he wanted to leave with Tetra to explore the Outset. The other heroes must have been feeling the same as Wind to agree quickly to his suggestion. Well, everyone but Legend. 

Wind was surprised to see the veteran refusing to board any ships to explore when he had claimed to prefer life on the road. Wind didn’t ask any questions though and just took back his suggestion. 

A week passed by before Legend agreed with Wind’s idea to explore with Tetra. When asked why he only shrugged and said, “Doesn’t matter. I agreed didn’t I?”

Wind decided not to point out the way his hands trembled and his back stiffened. Wind had seen and heard enough stories from the older sailors to connect the dots.

He got up from his seat and stretched to remove the crick in his back. The sun was setting, it was time to leave. The Heroes took that as a cue and started to slowly pack up their bags with extra supplies they gathered during their rest. 

Aryll immediately ran to him as his grandmother approached him with his bag. Both with blurred eyes from the unshed tears and Wind had to blink to keep from crying. He gave them both hugs and promises to return at the first chance he had. 

As he was heading towards the docks with the heroes, the nostalgia and homesickness were already coming to him. It was silly considering that he was the one who decided to leave the Outset. 

They arrived at the pier as the stars took over the night sky and a low mist settled in the pier. Wind was greeted with the sight of the crew shouting at each other as they loaded in barrels and crates. Wind scanned the pier again. The number of people seemed...off. 

The cool breeze from the ocean interrupted his thoughts along with a rough slap on his shoulder. He stumbled in his steps before looking up to glare at the culprit. 

“Well look who finally decided to show up,” Tetra said with a smirk. “I was beginning to think you changed your mind.”

“Thinking or hoping?” Wind shot her a smile. “I could end up throwing a coup against you on your own ship.” 

“You wouldn’t dare.” 

“Try me.” 

Wind and Tetra glared at each other before they burst into laughter and draped their arms around each other. 

“Glad to have you onboard again, shorty,” Tetra laughed. “I was starting to miss your humor.” 

“I was starting to miss your quips as well.” 

He looked up to the heroes and found them watching their interaction with varying levels of amusement and humor. Tetra seemed to have noticed them as well as she straightened her back and pulled her arms away. 

“I am aware that there would be extra people joining us with Link,” her eyes passed over each of them with an appraisal. “Well let me make one thing clear, you aren’t guests here. You would each have your own work assigned on my ship. Don’t let me catch you slacking or I will have you walk the plank.” 

The Heroes gave her a dubious look at her words and Wind bit back a smile.

“It’s true,” Wind piped up behind her with a solemn face. “I once slept in and she threw me off-board.” 

The Links gave Wind a surprised look and he laughed. 

“I jest,” he giggled. “I have never been caught slacking.” 

“And you aren’t about to start now,” Tetra ruffled his hair and pushed him towards the crates. “Get loading, I will show your brothers around the ship and assign them their work.” 

“I can help,” Warriors stepped towards Wind but he shrugged the knight off.

“It’s fine,” Wind said. “I have done this plenty of times, I can handle it.” 

Warriors seemed hesitant to let Wind go alone and Wind felt a little indignant anger. But before he either of them could say anything more, Tetra stepped in between them. “My ship, my rules,” she said with a look that left no room for arguments. He should know, he tried to argue once and lost quickly. 

Her words (and glare) seemed to have convinced Warriors to stay with her. “All right,” he mumbled. 

“And you will call me ‘Captain’ this time,” Tetra grinned at Warriors. Wind had to bite his fist to keep his laughter from seeing the knight’s face.

He still felt homesick but there was underlying excitement now. There were so many possibilities in this expedition alone. Wind would finally see the island that Tetra has told him about on countless occasions. The other heroes would love to see new places and markets spread out in the seas.

Wind picked up a barrel from the loading docks and instantly dropped it back down as lightly as he could. It was too light to be their supplies. With a frown, he opened the lid to find the barrel filled halfway with gunpowder. 

His heart lurched as he ran back to the ship to warn Tetra. He was so distracted from his musings and excitement, he didn’t notice the way the pier was empty save Tetra’s crew. 

He also missed the way barrels and crates were stacked on top of each other in fours and fives. They made the docks feel like an endless labyrinth with too many dead ends to count. A cold sweat broke on his spine as he picked up his pace. 

He lost his balance when his boots hit something soft instead of the hard wooden ground. Wind looked down to find a man with a knife stuck in his abdomen. The man's eyes were glassy and unfocused. Wind averted his gaze from the man’s face and continued to run to the ship.

“Tetra!” he screamed trying to catch her attention. Or any of the crew’s attention really. 

He felt the heat on his back before he heard the explosion and was knocked off his feet. Luckily, he had the thought to cover his head as he slammed onto the pier roughly. 

When his vision focused, he saw the once peaceful pier set on fire as wood chips continued to rain onto the ground in an unsteady rhythm. He heard shouts in the distance and was relieved to hear Tetra’s and his brothers’ voices among them. He ducked behind one of the crates and looked to the ship. 

Tetra was ordering the crew running around on her ship as she herself ran down to the harbor. She scanned the pier and made eye contact with Wind, still hiding behind the crates. One glance was all he needed to stand up and run away from the ship.

They had made plans before with cautious ideas and hopeful thoughts that they would never have to rely on them. He felt bittersweet at the memory as he climbed the crates. It had only been a year ago when they made the plan and he wanted to laugh at their innocent hopes. 

He kept quiet paces on top of the crates as he scanned the pier at a higher angle. His heart dropped at the sight of the men outnumbering Tetra’s small crew. Perhaps she did have the right idea to leave in the dark of the night with little fanfare and very few relatives and friends to send them off. 

Wind saw a man fall from two arrows fired at once and felt relief knowing that Wild was on the ship and well enough to fight. He also saw the soft glow of Master Sword and found himself smiling. His brothers would be fine under Tetra’s commands and their sharp wits. 

He turned his back to the ship and ran down the crates to the men firing a volley of arrows at his crew. Taking them down was easy enough since they weren’t expecting anyone to drop in from above them. 

He continued his way on the crates taking down one set of snipers after another with ease, keeping mental math of the people he took down. 

When he was absolutely sure he covered the whole area, he started to weigh his options. 

He could either go back to the ship now and fight in the frontlines or he could deeper into the pier and get rid of any potential backups to even the odds. Technically he was supposed to return to the safety of the ship long ago according to the plan. 

But since he was already this far, a quick search for backups around the pier shouldn’t hurt. 

He ran to the pile of crates that were stuck on top of each other, particularly high compared to the rest, and jumped.

Just as his fingers made a grab, he felt a tug on his leg and was thrown off balance. Wind was twisted sharply by the shoulders before being thrown into empty barrels with a grunt. His head crashed on the floor and he felt his warm blood drip down his forehead. 

He roughly bit his tongue to stay conscious and saw a figure approach him with a glint of dagger shining in their hands. He stared at the face of his adversary with a scowl. 

Wind’s heart stuttered when he saw a pale scarred face come into the light. The scars were all he needed to figure out who this man was. Captain Rollins, a leader of another pirate crew.

He heard stories about Rollins from Tetra. Whether it was by letter or in person, every mention of the pirate brought anger to Wind. 

Rollins was the first mate until he launched a coup and fed his captain to the fish soon after Wind left to travel with the heroes. He had apparently attempted to attack Tetra’s ship on multiple occasions as well as raid helpless villages. 

This was the pirate that parents would warn their children about and sailors feared. He was nothing like Tetra’s crew of explorers. Rollins was the pirate that bought violence and bloodshed with his eyes set on gold and jewel. 

And by Hylia, he was uglier than Wind expected despite Tetra’s graphic descriptions of his scars and crooked teeth.

“Rollins, I take it?” Wind said, trying to seem more confident than he felt. “Heard a lot about you. Not all good things, I am afraid.” 

“And I heard a lot about you, little hero,” Rollins said. His voice was raspy from what Wind assumed was the heavy use of tobacco. “Lots of stories about you.”

“Oh?” Wind replied when Rollins won’t say anything else. Tetra should have noticed by now that he wasn’t on the ship. He wondered if she would get to him in time. If he could just stall a little longer. “Hope it managed to entertain you.” 

Rollins smiled and held up his dagger to the light. “Pity that all stories must end.”

Wind’s heart lurched at his words and he scowled. There was no way he was dying to this despicable man in this stupid pier.

He kept a careful eye on Rollins as he approached Wind. There was a brief second where they kept their eye contact until Rollins lunged at Wind. Wind tucked in his legs and rolled away from Rollins, wincing a little from his throbbing shoulders. 

Looks like Rollins dislocated his dominant arm. 

With a grunt, Wind kicked Rollins in the back knee and started to sprint away. He ignored his throbbing shoulders and weak legs as he made another attempt to reach the crates. 

A sharp piercing pain spread in his back and Wind let go of the crate with a cry. He heard a crow of laughter from where Rollins stood and cursed. He didn’t think Rollins had the brains or the skills for throwing knives. But then again, Wind should have expected it from the dead man he saw before. 

He looked up to see the pale man standing above him with his face split into a wider and uglier grin. Rollins yanked Wind from the ground until his toes barely touched the ground.

“The hero is down,” he sang with slurred notes. “The little captain’s hero is down.” 

Wind winced as the pain started to spread from his back along with his blood. It will take a while to wash the bloodstains out. 

If he somehow escapes. 

“Should have aimed higher,” he gasped in pain, fighting to stay awake. “You missed my heart.” 

Rollins only laughed at his words. “Looks like the story ends here.”

“Oh, I already know how this story ends,” Wind gasped. His vision was starting to blur as he reached his hand into his pocket. “It ends with you dead and forgotten.” 

Rollins scowled in his hideous manner and slammed Wind against a crater. Wind yelped from the shock of pain and his vision was blurred again as he felt more blood spurt from his wound. 

“You’re wrong,” Rollins growled to his face, and Wind almost emptied his stomach from Rollin’s awful breath. “It ends with you dying here and the little captain drowned in the seas.” 

“Drowned?” he asked, reaching his hand into his pocket again. “Tetra would never drown in the ocean. I would say she is more likely to die in battle.” 

Rollins grinned. “How grim for someone as young as you. But either one works for me.” 

“She would never die from your blade,” Wind’s fingers brushed the familiar handle. “You are more likely to die from hers.” 

Rollins gave him a disbelieving smile. “Goodbye, little hero.”

“Or this one!” Wind shouted as he sank the small knife into Rollins's arm that held Wind up. 

Rollins shrieked and dropped Wind to the ground. 

He could hear the fight continuing from where he dropped. Wind sent a brief prayer to whatever deity was listening to protect his brothers and Tetra. 

Wind grit his teeth and lifted his head up. He slowly crawled away from Rollins knowing that there was no way he could fight him in this state. He had dropped the little knife when he stabbed Rollins and it was near impossible to unsheathe his sword with his dislocated arm and gaping wound. 

The wound. 

Wind brushed his fingers on the open wound and his finger felt wet before he could even feel where the wound was precise. That was a lot of blood lost. Even if he did manage to crawl away and hide safely, Rollins or another stooge would find him from the trail of blood. 

Still, Wind continued to crawl on the wooden planks. 

Rollins’ shrieks had died now and Wind heard footsteps behind him. Maybe he should have cut Rollins’ neck instead of stabbing his arm.

“Where are you going, little hero?” Rollins sang in the same slurred tone from before. His voice felt like nails on a chalkboard to Wind’s ears. “You can’t get away.” 

Rollins sounded close by and Wind finally let himself panic. There was no way that anyone would find him in time now. He wasn’t really sure if his brothers or Tetra were actually alive to find him. Or his body. 

He was an idiot. An ungrateful, naïve idiot. 

His head crashed on the ground from exhaustion and he struggled to keep his eyes open. 

Everyone was safe in his home. They were finally enjoying a moment of peace but his impulsive and restless self had ruined it. He should have listened to Legend's hesitant tone. He should have taken his sister’s frown as a sign to stay. He should have really seen his grandmother’s sad eyes when he said he wanted to leave. He should never have dragged his brothers to danger like this. 

But it was too late to change anything now, no matter how much he wished for it. 

He was going to die here because of his reckless behavior. It was a little insulting to die like this after everything he went through. But he could only blame himself for that.

“Watch over them, O’ Goddess,” he prayed and panted from the exhaustion. “Let them stay safe. You listened to my prayers before. Please hear this one now. Please.” 

His tears blurred and covered his vision as he sobbed on the floor. 

“I don’t wanna die,” he mumbled to no one in particular. 

As he prayed and mumbled, he nearly missed the sound of a string being released followed by a scream. 

"Link!" a voice shouted.

The darkness had already consumed him before he could think about it.


	2. Bloody Fingers and Calloused Hands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written on Main Discord server live write

The sun was starting to peek from the horizon when Tetra came from below deck with her tunic still covered in blood. Wind’s blood. 

“Bring him here,” she barked to the uninjured crew. “I would like to have a few words.” 

Warriors had been frozen at her command. It was eerie how Tetra and his queen had so much in similarity even if they were related in some way. 

It wasn’t the first time he ended up freezing to the younger one. When Tetra had stepped in between him and Wind, Warriors found himself unable to disregard her order. Another time was just past sunset when Tetra had come to the ship with the bleeding Wind in tow. She had taken Wind to the lower decks and promptly kicked Warriors out when he tried to follow her, allowing only a select few with medical experience to follow her. Hyrule was one of them. He returned to the group shortly after with his lips in a thin line and worried eyes.

Tetra, meanwhile, only came up once to order the crew to leave the harbor right away and almost immediately stormed back to the lower decks. The veteran sailors had ended up taking over running the ship and ordered the Heroes around to have the ship leave. 

Now Tetra was standing in front of them with an unsettling stoic face and Warriors was not looking forward to the reason why.

Two of the crew dragged a pale scarred man over with little to no gentleness. His leg was twisted in an off-angle and an arrow was protruded from his shoulder. There was a stab wound on one of his arms caked with dried blood and pus, it was probably infected now. 

Warriors cringed at the signs of the man’s lack of personal hygiene, he could practically smell his breath from where he stood. From the way Tetra’s nose curled in disgust, Warriors guessed she wasn’t too impressed either.

He inhaled the salty sea air, knowing what’s coming. 

“Rollins,” Tetra hissed to the pale man. “I believe I told you to never show your face again.” 

The man, Rollins, shrugged and giggled like a maniac. “I’m a pirate. I don’t follow no orders.” 

“It was not an order,” Tetra’s face remained neutral and stoic but Warriors could see the storm in her eyes as she spoke to the tied up man kneeling in front of her. “It was a parley. I let you and your crew go and you never show your face again.” 

Rollins giggled some more. “Missy, here thinks she can order me around,” he said to no one.

Warriors saw crew members bristle at Rollins' words from the corner of his eyes. His fellow heroes looked ready to throw Rollins off the ship themselves and Warriors wanted to join them. 

Legend glared at the man in disgust while Twilight had a snarl that could put Wolfie to shame. Time and Wild both kept one hand on their sword while Hyrule frowned at the man with unsettled eyes. Four and Sky had a neutral expression but their eyes shifted back and forth between Rollins and Tetra uneasily.

“You think you can order everyone around,” Rollins raised his voice towards Tetra. “Well, we pirates don’t follow no orders from ya royal highness.” 

Tetra’s expression remained neutral as she walked towards Collins and looked down at him. 

“Well, then,” Tetra said, her voice dangerously low. “I will take note of that.”

She smiled and her entire posture and form changed. Warriors couldn’t help but think of the thugs in the newer ranks that threw their weight around. 

“Hold him down,” she ordered the crew. With a flick of her wrist, there was a sharp little knife in her hands and she was pointing it at Rollins’ face. 

“You can’t threaten me,” Rollins growled in fury though his eyes were starting to flicker nervously between the blade and Tetra. “My crew-” 

“Thinks you’re dead,” Tetra interrupted him. “I made sure of it. There is no bargaining for you now so I suggest you think your words carefully and answer my questions honestly or else...”

With a quick flick of a wrist, Tetra cut Rollins’s face over his right eye in quick stroke. Before Rollins screamed, however, Tetra cut again in the opposite direction, leaving an x-marked scar. Rollins screamed in pain and twitched as Tetra wiped the knife with her handkerchief and returned it to her pocket in leisure. 

“Now,” Tetra leaned over Rollins, “let’s try this again because I am done playing games. Answer my questions as honestly as you can, then I might drop you off at the nearest island docks alive.” 

Warriors felt sickened at the sight of Rollins bleeding, he almost felt sorry for the man. 

Almost. 

He thought about Wind, bleeding, and unconscious as Tetra carried him aboard. He looked too pale and still than Warriors had ever seen him. A momentary feeling of joy overcame him then as he saw Rollins writhing in pain at the thought of Wind now. But he smashed the feelings before it could grow further. 

“Who sent you?” Tetra asked. “I know you haven’t the brains for this kind of operation.”

Rollins spit at her face. 

_ How dare he. _ Fury overcame Warriors as he made his way towards Rollins and Tetra. 

A hand clamped down on his shoulder, stopping him. Warriors whipped back to face one of the crewmembers slowly shaking his head at him. His anger momentarily stuttered at the solemn expression of the crewmember and he remained where he stood. 

Tetra wiped her face from Rollins’ spit. “If that’s how you are going to be then,” she muttered.

Without a warning or even a blink of an eye, Tetra shoved her fingers to Rollins’ cut eye. Rollins shrieked and trashed away from Tetra as the crew members held him down. With a tug, Tetra’s hands came away with Rollins eyeball. Warriors heard Four retch at the sight. He wanted to do the same. 

The motion looked too practiced. Too experienced. 

She threw the eye overboard without a glance and roughly grabbed whimpering 

Rollins’ jaw, her bloody hands trailing blood on his jaw. “Who sent you?”

Rollins whimpered and moaned in pain. "There's something wrong with you," he gasped out in pain.

“Listen,” Tetra hissed to Rollins, angling his head up roughly and ignoring his weak jab. “You have two choices. You either tell me who sent you and walk away alive or I continue this conversation with a blind man.” 

“He’ll kill me,” Rollins cried. “He’ll kill me.”

“And I’ll make you wish you did die.” 

Rollins whimpered and cried more before pointing at Warriors. “It was him! He paid me to attack your ship before you left the docks.”

Tetra’s sharp eyes looked up to him and Warriors felt the urge to quail and back away from her. He felt the Heroes still and stiffen next to him. Instead of defending himself, Warriors focused his energy to scowl at Rollins instead of walking up to him and tearing him apart from himself. He had done a lot he was not proud of but he was not a traitor. 

He felt a hand on his arm and turned to find Hyrule looking up at him. His face had a shade of green from the bloody sight but his eyes conveyed trust. Warriors felt his muscles relax at Hyrule’s gaze and looked up to find his fellow Heroes looking the same. 

“Try again,” Tetra hissed to Rollins, and Warriors nearly wept in relief. “I don’t trust your words and this is your last chance.”

“It’s true,” Rollins whimpered as snot ran down his nose. “It was him. It was two nights ago, he appeared in front of me with red eyes and dark cloak.” 

There was a sharp gasp from Twilight and a tension rose higher than Warriors ever thought was possible. 

“The Shadow,” Four muttered in shock. 

Tetra pursed her lips at Rollins’s words. She must know about the Dark as well. 

“A medic,” Rollins whimpered. “Please, I need a medic. I answered your question.” 

Her eyes focused down on him again. “All right then. Follow me.” 

Rollins stood up to follow her only to be pushed to the railings and be angled precariously down. 

“Wait!” he screamed. “I answered your question! You said you will let me live.” 

Even from where Warriors stood he could make out Tetra’s eyes flash in anger like lightning.

“Well,” she said in a leisurely tone that contrasted her stormy eyes, “usually someone comes in and pleads your case for mercy.” 

Her words were dripping in venom now as she leaned into Rollins. “But he’s lying unconscious below decks thanks to you.” 

With a shove, Rollins splashed into the ocean. There was a short scream of horror from Sky as Rollins was pulled away by the tides. Warriors’ eyes unwillingly followed Rollins’s body bobbing back and forth. 

“What are you standing around for?” Tetra barked at the Heroes and the crew. 

“Get back to work, the drama is over.” 

Warriors scrambled to his assigned workplace along with the rest of the people aboard the boat. The screaming had gone silent.

* * *

Tetra jumped up with a start when Warriors walked into the little makeshift clinic. Her hands were washed clean and she was wearing a new tunic. 

The smell of herbs and red potion bombarded his nose as he slowly made his way in. Clean bandages were lined up next Wind along with several bottles of liquid he could not identify. 

“Was I asleep?” she asked, a little slurred. “What happened?”

“Nothing happened,” Warriors said, trying to soothe her. “I’m just here to check on Wind.” 

Tetra frowned at Warriors words before it seemed to click. “I keep forgetting his nickname.” 

Warriors sat next to the bedside across from Tetra and reached for Wind’s hand. 

His skin was still too pale and his temperature was too cold at the touch. 

He waited for Wind to open his eyes. The little hero would laugh at Warriors and tell him a story of the seas. Or perhaps his grandmother’s soup.

“Do you think he would wake up?” he asked with unease. “He lost a lot of blood.” 

Tetra remained silent and Warriors wanted to kick himself. As mature and headstrong Tetra is, she is still a child years younger than him. 

“Even more than what you saw,” she said, her eyes on Wind. “I am no healer but he will wake up.” 

He tried to think of how that sounded more like a hopeful statement than a fact. 

“He’s strong,” he muttered, unsure if he is trying to reassure himself or Tetra. “He can get through this.” 

She remained silent, seemingly lost on her thoughts.

After Rollins' execution (Warriors can’t think of any other word to describe what he saw that didn’t make his stomach roll), Tetra had made plans to return to Outset Island within a week instead of the planned month. If the Dark was still around, then the chances of him bribing more people to attack the ship or even Wind’s family was too high to ignore. 

“How did you know Rollins wasn’t lying about me?” he asked, heart pounding as Tetra’s eyes focused on him. 

“Your crew is your family,” Tetra said without hesitating. It sounded like a line that has been used many times. “And you don’t betray your family.” 

She leaned back on her chair with a sigh. “It’s mostly instinct as well. You learn to listen to it when you are sailing through the Great Sea. Helps a lot during the naval battles as well.” 

“Does this happen a lot?” 

“Ever since the monsters in the ocean became docile,” Tetra nodded. “It increased the number of pirates and sailors in the Great Sea. Skirmishes between different ships are common now. There was an unspoken rule to keep the fighting away from docks. But so much for that now, I guess.” Tetra laughed bitterly. “Out with one monster, in with another.”

There was silence until she interrupted it. “Well?”

“Well, what?’

Tetra drew back straight and lowered her voice. “Tetra, you have gone too far!” She wagged her finger. “That was an unnecessary case of violence and gore and killing and….” Her voice drifted off as she waved her hand midair with an expectant face. 

If she wasn’t referring to that violent scene, Warriors would have laughed at her poor imitation of his city accent. “You mean, lecture you for what you did?” 

Tetra nodded. 

“I do think you went too far,” he fiddled with the end of his scarf. “But I won’t lecture on that since you already seem to know.” 

Her shoulders slumped a little. “I am not proud of it.”

“I don’t think anyone would be.” 

She rubbed her fingers that gouged out Rollins’s eye. “I know Link won’t be either. Even if Rollins deserved worse. I was just so angry.”

Warriors thought of the feeling of joy seeing Rollins bleed on the deck while whimpering and twitching from pain. Then he looked at his little brother lying unconscious in front of him. 

Rollins did deserve worse than what Tetra did to him. He had wanted to tear the man apart from limb to limb as the crew stashed him onto the ship. If he had his say, he would have made Rollins’s death painfully slow. 

_ A dangerous train of thought _ , he heard his Zelda’s voice scorn him.  _ Vengeance and retribution bring nothing but a guarantee of further destruction. Your heart will be nothing but stone when the fire of fury dies. _

And he was inclined to agree. From the way Tetra continued to rub and scratch her fingers, she felt the same. She’s still young but perhaps she will learn to better control her temper and need for vengeance.

“Rollins was a dangerous man,” she muttered. “Too unpredictable and risky to be kept alive.” 

Warriors sensed there was more. “But?”

“I let him go,” she stared at her hands balefully. “And it brought this upon us.”

He should offer words of comfort or sympathy. But all he said was this, “We can do nothing but take more caution now, Captain.” 

Flowery words of sympathy wouldn’t help. But it didn’t hurt to be a little optimistic about the future. 

Tetra smiled at the title before getting up from her seat. “I’ve better set a new course for Outset Island,” she said. “If he finds out I’ve been nothing but fuss over him, he won't stop teasing.” 

Warriors agreed. He could almost imagine the way Wind will smirk and make jokes about it for days.

“And don’t tell him about it,” Tetra called over her shoulder. “Or else.”

“Aye aye, captain,” he saluted. 

He heard a scoff. “No one actually says that.”

* * *

The first thing Wind noticed was how much his back hurt. Followed by his head. 

He groaned softly in pain and opened his eyes. He instantly regretted it as the light bombarded him and he shut his eyes again. 

“Link?” a voice called to him followed by a gentle nudge on his shoulder. “Are you awake?”

Wind gave a weak hum and opened his eyes again. He saw Tetra standing on the bedside with bloodshot eyes and eye bags. Her hair was a mess of tangles in a bun while she had the distinct smell of sugar. 

“Does it hurt anywhere?” she asked with a careful look. 

“Are they okay?” he mumbled. “Are you okay?”

“I’m not the one who has been unconscious for two days. And your brothers are fine.” 

Wind sighed in relief and nearly cried. They were okay. 

“Are you okay?” Tetra asked. “Anything you need?”

“Water,” Wind whispered, suddenly aware of how dry his mouth and throat were. 

Tetra left his sights in a flash and Wind nearly whimpered from the absence. But she returned quickly with a mug and helped him drink.

“Anything else?” she asked. “No other injuries besides your back and arms right?”

“I’m fine,” Wind muttered. 

“Good,” Tetra placed her hands on her hips. “That means I can kill you.” 

One look at Tetra’s furious eyes and he wished that the darkness could reclaim him again. The Goddess wasn’t so merciful this time around though.

“What were you thinking?” Tetra stressed each word with fury. “You were supposed to return to the ship right away. You nearly died!” 

“‘M sorry,” he said but Tetra wasn’t done yet. 

If his brothers thought that he had a sailor's mouth then they were in for a surprise. He was near a saint compared to Tetra. She went on with colorful words that would make Sky repent to the nearest shrine for hours. 

“We had clear plans to get everyone safely away but  _ no _ ,” Tetra continued in a storm. “You just went further down the pier to fight twenty men by yourself.” 

“Twenty-five,” Wind corrected her and quickly regretted it. 

“Twenty-five,” Tetra nearly shouted in disbelief. “It’s a miracle I managed to get to you on time.”

Wind suddenly shot up from the bed only to wince from the pain. Tetra was immediately beside him, her angry expression momentarily falling away. 

“Lie back down,” she urged him. “You still need to rest.” 

“Rollins,” Wind gasped. “He-”

“Taken care of,” Tetra shushed him. “He won’t be bothering us anymore.” 

His panic slowly ebbed away as he lied back down on the bed. 

She scoffed and flicked his nose. “A miracle you’re alive. But with that thick skin of yours, I shouldn’t be surprised.” 

An indignant noise escaped from Wind at her words and Tetra gave him a victorious smile. 

“You threw Rollins overboard didn’t you?” Wind asked. It was tempting to continue the light-hearted banter they always do but this was more important right now.

“Yep.” 

“Did you do the eyeball thing?”

“Maybe I did.” Tetra’s eyebrows raised up in defiance. “What about it?”

“You don’t like doing it.” 

“So?”

He bit back a sigh, trying to be patient with his friend. “You don’t have to do this anymore.”

“No, I do have to do this,” she rubbed her fingers looking away. “I know I am being cruel and maybe a little too violent. But I have a duty.” 

Wind didn’t need to ask to know what that was. It was his duty too. 

“You sound like you’ll be working alone at that.”

“You sound like you’ll be sticking around.”

He tilted his head up in surprise. “Why would I leave?”

She opened her mouth to reply and closed it. Her eyes averted to her hands that she scratched and rubbed. The tips of her fingers looked a sensitive shade of red now. 

Wind reached for her hand and she flinched away from him. He tried not to look hurt at her reaction and reached again. This time she stayed still. “Why would you stay?”

“Your crew is your family.” 

“You already have a family waiting for you.” 

“You’re my family too.” 

Tetra growled and sighed in exasperation. “It’s not just monsters out in the seas anymore, Link. There are people like you and I that will attack us without a second thought.” 

“So?” Wind shrugged the best he can where he laid. “We’ve been fighting together for years now.” 

“You still have a chance for a normal life,” Tetra argued back. “To go back home to your grandmother and sister. To settle down and grow old.”

“Do I?” Wind asked, a little peeved. “Do I really have a chance to be normal after everything?”

He thought of the first few weeks when he returned to Outset after his first journey. He thought of the way he woke up screaming and sobbing with unfocused eyes that frightened his sister and grandmother. How he couldn’t go far from his home without a sword on his back. The way he jumped at every unexpected contact and flinched for his sword. The whispers from the adults when they thought he couldn’t hear him. 

_ Disturbed _ , they said as they pulled their children in closer when they thought he wasn’t looking. The worst was the pitying glances that were sent towards his sister and grandmother. _ They have to take care of him _ . 

“Perhaps I could settle someday,” he said at the thought of the way Time smiled when he was with Malon. “Gain gray hair and wrinkles. But I can never be normal the way you and everyone else expects.”

His brothers had tired eyes that dropped in exhaustion after a battle. Their bones and muscles craved rest in ways they haven’t noticed yet. He would catch their eyes staring longingly into the horizon, perhaps they were searching for the future they have been promised in the storybooks. Whatever that was. 

But Wind wasn’t tired. At least not yet. 

“I’m staying,” Wind squeezed Tetra’s hand. “And I will continue to fight with you. Swords drawn out and guns blazing with fire, I won’t stop fighting with you until we are both satisfied.”

He wondered when he would be satisfied. His grandmother and sister would always share a concerned look whenever he would leave with Tetra’s crew. He could understand where the concern came from and why Tetra wouldn’t believe him when he says he wants to stay. Pirates hardly ever had a peaceful retirement after all. 

Tetra’s fingers twitched in his hand. “Even if I turn out like Rollins?”

“You will never be him,” Wind said firmly. Her eyes may have grown harder and colder, but she was still the same Tetra that joked around with him and protected her family to the last breath. “Besides, you actually have a sense of hygiene.”

The corner of Tetra’s lips pulled up. “I really did miss your humor.” 

“Who wouldn’t?” he joked only to cringe moments later. His brothers may be having an effect on him. 

Speaking of, where were his brothers?

Tetra’s eyes widen in realization as well. “I’ll call them here.” 

It was tempting to see them again. But after going through Tetra’s lecture, he didn’t think he could stay awake for Twilight’s and Warriors’. 

“Don’t,” he said. “I will speak to them when I wake up tomorrow. I'd rather rest right now.”

Tetra nodded and sat back down in her seat. 

“Are you going to hover around me?” Wind asked as the exhaustion fully set in. “And have you been doing that the past two days as well?”

Tetra scoffed. “You wish. I was actually quite busy from the stunt you pulled.” 

“Sure,” Wind said, he couldn’t keep the disbelief out of his tone. “If you say so.” 

Tetra flicked his nose again and he could do nothing but glare at her.

“Rest up, shortie,” Tetra said. “You have a lot to catch up on when you wake up tomorrow.” 

“I figured,” he yawned and let his eyelids droop. “Can’t wait.” 

Tetra didn’t say anything but he felt her thumb drawing circles around his wrist. Her hands were too calloused for someone her age. Just like his. 

But he didn’t care.

“You know what your eyes remind me of, Link?” he heard Tetra mutter. 

“No,” his words slurred. “What?”

Sleep had claimed him before he could find out. He'll ask later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment and feedback are appreciated!

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: This story was heavily inspired by the novel Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. Check it out if you like magic heists.


End file.
